This irresistible tale of the adventures of two friends growing up in frontier A
merica is one of Mark Twain's most popular novels. The farcical, colorful, and p
oignant escapades of Tom and his friend Huckleberry Finn brilliantly depict the
humor and pathos of growing up on the geographic and cultural rim of nineteenth-
century America. Originally intended for children, the book transcends genre in
its magical depiction of innocence and possibility, and is now regarded as one o
f Twain's masterpieces. As Frank Conroy observes in his Introduction, The Advent
ures of Tom Sawyer has become a sacred text within the body of American literatu
re. This version, which reproduces the Mark Twain Project edition, is the approv
ed text of the Center for Scholarly Editions of the Modern Language Association.
